Politics
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Bengal withdraws Banga Bibhushan from BJP MP
NDTV··14 Aug
West Bengal on August 13 withdrew the Banga Bibhushan conferred on BJP Rajya Sabha MP Nagendra Ray, also known as Ananta Maharaj, on February 21, 2026. The Information and Cultural Affairs Department said continued retention was inconsistent with the honour's dignity. The move followed Ray's remarks calling Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose a war criminal and questioning the INA.
Prism
What It Means For You
- If you follow West Bengal honours, Ray can no longer use the Banga Bibhushan title or any privilege tied to the February 21 conferment.
- Rajbanshi readers can note the original citation was for language and community work, while the withdrawal cites later remarks on Netaji.
- Anyone watching the new state government can see the order came less than a day after Adhikari's direction on derogatory speech about Bose.
What's Happening
- The competent authority annulled the honour with immediate effect on August 13.
- Ray had allegedly described Netaji as a war criminal and said INA soldiers were British soldiers whose force was misused.
- The Supreme Court had already been asked in a lawyer's mention to take suo motu note of those remarks.
How the Honour Was Given and Taken Back
- Banga Bibhushan is among West Bengal's highest civilian awards and was conferred at a Mother Language Day event in Kolkata.
- Ray, from Cooch Behar, entered the Rajya Sabha in 2023 as a BJP-backed nominee and is a prominent Rajbanshi leader in north Bengal.
- Banerjee had protested at a Netaji statue in Shyambazar after the remarks; the withdrawal is an executive order, not a court sentence.
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